Set the Fire on the Third Bar
by ExtravagantElegance
Summary: “Just say yes.” He whispered, cutting off her failed attempts to apologize. “Let me go and be happy.” Songfic. Merry belated Christmas and happy late New Year, Hannah&Maddie!


**Yo, yo. Yeah, I said it twice; got a problem with it? Thought so. ANYWAYS, I'm a procrastinator- as most of you already know- and I'm just now posting Christmas/New Year gifts' for my best friends. This one is for Hannah[**Dernier Cri**] and Maddie[**welcometomaddieland**]. The song is "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" by Snow Patrol.**

--

_I find the map and draw a straight line  
Over rivers, farms, and state lines_

"Merry Christmas, Mass." Cam murmured as he wrapped his muscular arms around her cinched waist. Massie stared out the window for another brief second before twisting to face her boyfriend.

"Merry Christmas to you too." She giggled. Leaning towards his face, she pressed her lips to his. "Ready to open presents?"

"I'll meet you downstairs…" His mismatched eyes twinkled as he looked over her appreciatively. Cam released his grip around her. With one last glance, he made his way downstairs.

Massie sighed. She looked back outside. It was raining; a mellow way to start off such a cheery holiday. Clear drops struck the glass harshly and Massie watched the trees swing violently. She looked away from the storm brewing outside. In the silence of the master bedroom, Massie walked to the closet. She didn't care how bad you were allowed to dress on Christmas; she refused to look so informal. Quickly, she changed into a night slip. As she walked back out, she stubbed her toe on a box.

"Ow!" Massie yelped, hopping in pain. "Stupid box!"

She bent down to move the box before she heard something rattle inside. After setting it back down, she opened the box.

_The distance from 'A' to where you'd be  
It's only finger-lengths that I see_

It was a box full of pictures. _These have to be old_, Massie thought, _Claire and I haven't been friends in years._ She looked over the pictures one by one with a smile in place. Most were pictures of the silly, terrorizing group complied of herself, Claire, Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen. She faintly remembered calling their group, The Pretty Committee. Oh, how times have changed… Massie picked up the last frame in the box and she could literally feel her blood freeze.

_I touch the place where I'd find your face  
My finger in creases of distant dark places_

It was herself with Todd Lyons… Or as real as Todd Lyons will ever be to her again. This picture had to be taken when they were about sixteen. Todd smiled broadly at the camera, his arm circled around Massie's waist. Massie's eyes were twinkling as she stared at Todd. His strawberry blond hair mixed with Massie's chocolate brown in the wind as the couple posed for a picture. They had been so _happy…_before Cam showed up.

_I hang my coat up in the first bar  
There is no peace that I've found so far  
The laughter penetrates my silence  
As drunken men find flaws in science_

--

"_Woo-hoo!" Todd Lyons yelled as he dived into the pool. A huge splash shot up and sprayed all innocent bystanders. Massie and Claire squealed before hiding behind Derrick Harrington to protect their hair._

"_Alright, T!" Derrick whooped with a chuckle. He turned and gave Claire a kiss before jumping in too._

"_Boys…" Dylan rolled her eyes as she watched Kemp, Plovert, and Josh jumped in after their leader and beta._

"_Boys." Massie echoed, watching her boyfriend from her chair. He looked at her as if he could feel her stare and winked. She bit her lip and looked back at her friends._

"_Who is _that_?" Claire whistled._

_Her voice alarmed Massie in a chillingly good way. Claire didn't say that about just anybody. So, this mystery must be somebody. Slowly, she turned to look at the hot topic; a raven-haired boy with an intense, odd stare._

_Their words mostly noises  
Ghosts with just voices_

"_You're breaking up with me?" Todd's blue eyes widened in surprise. "We've been together fo-"_

"_Three years… I know." Massie looked down at the ground. "But we're going to college after the summer, Todd. Do you really want to be tied down?"_

"_We had it planned out." His voice cracked. "Why are you doing this?"_

'Stop it,'_ Massie thought, '_Don't make me say it_.'_

"_Because if I did something wr-"_

"_You did nothing wrong!" Massie yelled. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I cheated on you."_

_Todd froze, looking at her. His face went through different emotions- anger, confusion, sadness- before settling on a tired face. "I forgive you. You don't have to run away from me."_

"_You don't get it, Todd." She shook her head. "I'm _leaving_ you for him."_

_Your words in my memory  
Are like music to me_

Massie trembled, touching the glass that covered Todd's face. Tears fell from her cheeks and onto the picture. "I'm sorry."

_I'm miles from where you are,  
I lay down on the cold ground  
I, I pray that something picks me up  
And sets me down in your warm arms_

Unwanted memories clogged Massie's brain. She thought about the party where she made her first entrance as 'Cam Fisher's girlfriend'. She felt her surprise and embarrassment when she saw Todd there. Her disapproval at Todd's drinking made Massie frown. His aggressive, out of character behavior that offended her and many others relived itself in her mind. Massie's heart sunk when she thought about the horrifying phone call the next morning; Todd, drunk, crash, _no!_

"_You killed him, Massie!" Claire wailed. She attempted to lunge at Massie but Kristen and Alicia held her back. "You killed my brother! I will _never_ forgive you for doing this!"_

_After I have traveled so far  
We'd set the fire to the third bar  
We'd share each other like an island  
Until exhausted, close our eyelids_

Massie didn't know how hard she threw the frame until it crashed into the wall. She was screaming, or at least she thought she was. Maybe it was the eighteen year old Massie with the broken phone screaming so terribly…or maybe it was the twenty five year old her reliving it. Her fingers touched her lips and she noticed her lips were closed…but she still heard the screams.

"Massie." With that simple statement, the screaming stopped and Massie turned to see Todd Lyons standing before her. She wasn't one to believe in ghosts, but at that very moment, Massie couldn't see why she couldn't believe.

"T-Todd." A sob choked her throat. "Wh-what-why?"

"I just want you to be happy, Mass." Todd wiped her cheeks. "That's all I ever wanted."

"Todd, I'm s-s-"

"Just say yes." He whispered, cutting off her failed attempts to apologize. "Let me go and be happy."

"Say yes to what?" Massie lifted her hands to wipe the rest of her tears. She looked up for Todd's answer but he was gone.

_And dreaming, pick up from  
The last place we left off  
Your soft skin is weeping  
A joy you can't keep in_

"Hey, Mass. Is everything alright up there?" Cam's distant voice brought her back to reality.

"Uh, yeah!" She yelled back. Massie stood and checked herself in the mirror. Her eyes were a bit red but nothing to obvious for Cam to question. She fluffed her hair and fixed her slip before walking down the stairs.

"Sorry, love." Massie said stiffly. "I couldn't find anything to wear."

"It's Christmas." Cam chuckled. "It's okay to break out the Chip and Dale pajamas and bunny slippers."

"Ha ha," She fake-smiled as she sat by him. "So, let's get started."

_I'm miles from where you are,  
I lay down on the cold ground  
And I, I pray that something picks me up  
and sets me down in your warm arms_

"There's something I want to do first." Cam cleared his voice. He stood from the couch and kneeled to the ground.

"Oh my God," Massie's hand flew to her chest. "Cam!"

"Shush, lemme do this." He held an easy smile on his face. "Massie Jillian Block, I love you so much that sometimes it scares the hell out of me. And I've been with other girls but no one has ever had this effect on me. And I don't think anyone ever will… Make me the happiest man on the world and marry me."

She started to smile but then it faded completely. Just mere minutes before, she saw the ghost of her dead first love upstairs…and now her current love was asking her to marry her.

_Just say yes. Just say yes. Just say yes._

_I'm miles from where you are,  
I lay down on the cold ground  
and I, I pray that something picks me up  
and sets me down in your warm arms_

"Cameron Fisher…_yes_."

--

**This was inspired by Hannah and Maddie's love for Cassie and Tassie.**


End file.
